


It's Called Forbidden for a Reason

by Burgie



Series: SSO Harry Potter AU [2]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 02:29:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13331586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Louisa's friends drag her away from studying to go on an adventure. Izabella belongs to hollow_moon, Zelda belongs to ZDusk, Jack belongs to SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher, and Ronja belongs to NumiTuziNeru.





	It's Called Forbidden for a Reason

The best thing about Hogwarts library was that it was quiet. Well, quiet as long as you weren’t in the section with the forbidden tomes. Which Louisa, despite being a senior, was not. Instead, she sat in a little study nook, books and scrolls of parchments spread out in front of her while a brown tabby cat lay sprawled on his back in front of it all, tail hanging off the edge of the desk and waving lazily.

A book landing in front of Louisa startled both her and the cat, the latter streaking underneath a nearby book trolley while the former scowled, looking up at the girl who’d interrupted her.

“I was trying to study,” said Louisa. The white-haired girl shrugged.

“Too bad,” said Izabella, making to sweep everything off the table and sit on it instead. Jack, a blue-haired boy of the same age, stopped her.

“We figured that you could take a break,” said Zelda. “Relax, you’ve been studying all week and the exams aren’t until the end of the year anyway.”

“Well, these exams are really important,” said Louisa. “They’ll only determine my entire career.”

“Aren’t you just going to be a librarian anyway?” asked Izabella.

“No,” said Louisa, frowning at her. “I want to care for magical creatures. That’s slightly less dangerous than being a librarian.”

“Really?” asked Jack. “I thought caring for magical creatures would be less dangerous.”

“Ha, just wait until you go to the forbidden section of the library,” said Zelda. “I was dared to go there once, because the Slytherin prefects are jerks.” Izabella snickered.

“Speaking of dangerous shit, c’mon, nerd, we’re going exploring,” said Izabella, trying to pull her older friend up out of the seat. “C’mon, up.”

“I’m not a broom,” said Louisa, but she got up and began to carefully pack her things away. “Jack, can you find my cat?”

“I’ve got him,” said Zelda, leaning down and scooping up a frightened brown kitty. “What’d you call him again?”

“It’s not that hard to remember,” said Louisa. “It’s just Fitz, or Fitzy.”

“Aww, hewwo Fitzy,” Zelda cooed, nuzzling the cat with her face.

“This better not get me in trouble,” Louisa muttered, shouldering her bag and heading for the Hufflepuff dormitory.

“Oh, don’t worry, it will but it’ll be fun,” said Jack.

“Times like these, I’m glad I’m a teacher’s pet,” said Louisa. “Let me just put my stuff away and give Fitzy to Lisa, and we can go.”

The four friends trudged out of the massive castle that housed the school, Louisa walking behind the three younger friends. Their escapades almost always started in the same way today’s did, with Izabella jumping in front of her while studying and screeching at her to get ready because they were off on an adventure. And Louisa supposed that she could have studied in the Hufflepuff common room, but she didn’t mind being dragged away from her studies sometimes. It was always fun, even if they did end up running for their lives and losing points for their various houses.

Zelda’s cloak swished around her as she walked ahead of the group, leading them into danger because she was the bravest of the bunch (Izabella was brave too, but her recklessness had seen them get into more strife than anyone was comfortable with). Jack was almost stride for stride with her, while Izabella was stuck between Louisa and Jack, who would ensure that she didn’t get into any further trouble. She’d already lost Ravenclaw at least fifty points this week, and it was only Monday.

“Man, you’re so lucky you get to wear whatever you want,” Jack groused, tugging at his black and yellow tie.

“I didn’t mind the uniform,” said Louisa.

“You’re about the only one,” said Izabella.

“Listen, you can pry this cloak from my cold, dead hands,” said Zelda, looking back at her friends. Louisa smiled, crossing her arms in front of her maroon knitted sweater. Lisa had learned a knitting spell, and this had been one of the more successful results of it.

“I’m sure you can wear the cloak with your casual clothes, Z,” said Louisa. “Just wear it over jeans and a t-shirt or whatever.”

“Ha, a t-shirt? In this weather?” said Jack, gesturing to the cool, misty air around them.

“You know what I mean,” said Louisa, blushing.

“Have you done anything fun since we last saw you?” asked Izabella.

“I have a girlfriend, that’s fun enough,” said Louisa. The other three nodded, though they were agreeing that having a boyfriend was fun enough.

The four of them continued across the massive, sprawling lawns of Hogwarts, chatting about how their classes had been and strange or funny things that had been going on in their dormitories. Louisa didn’t have much to add, though, just things that had been happening in class, since Jack was also a Hufflepuff.

“I’m surprised you weren’t made a prefect,” said Zelda. Izabella snorted.

“Be glad that she wasn’t,” said Izabella. “There’s already enough whining about rule-breaking.”

“Hey,” said Louisa. “I just don’t want us getting expelled.”

“Actually, I think we’re more likely to get killed,” said Zelda. “Especially with Mr Wannabe Beast Tamer over here going directly into a hippogriff’s nest.”

“That was once and fuck you,” said Jack. Louisa laughed along with her friends, but she sobered when she looked up to see what darkness they were walking into.

“Guys, it’s called the Forbidden Forest for a reason,” said Louisa. “We shouldn’t go in here.”

“Pussy,” said Izabella, and started making chicken noises. Louisa frowned at her, remembering that time when Izabella had worn a chicken mask for two solid years. She’d only taken it off when someone had attempted to spell it on, and it had erupted into flames. It had taken months for her eyebrows and eyelashes to grow back.

Louisa frowned and strode ahead of the group into the forest, shivering slightly at the shadows that soon surrounded her.

“Lumos,” said Louisa, and a strong light emitted from her wand. Her three friends did the same, and they continued on through the dark and foreboding forest, holding their wands aloft to light the way.

As they headed deeper into the forest, though, Louisa drifted to the back of the group, shivering at every cold breeze and jumping at every sound. Jack and Zelda looked frightened too, but Izabella led the way, her white hair the only spot of brightness on her aside from her face.

“Hmm, this looks interesting,” said Izabella, and her light quickly vanished into a small crevice in what Louisa had thought was just a solid slab of stone.

“Think we can fit in there?” asked Jack, looking back at Louisa after Zelda had followed Izabella in. Louisa laughed, rubbing her arms and ignoring the friendly jibe at her weight.

Jack went first, sucking in his gut and pushing his glasses up his nose so that he could wriggle in. Louisa did the same as she followed, glad that she’d left her bag back in the Hufflepuff common room.

“What is this place?” Louisa whispered, holding her wand aloft to light the small space that the group had found themselves in.

“I think it’s a cave of some sort,” said Jack.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” said Zelda. “Burgs, you’re the senior among us, does this look like the nest of anything to you?”

“Uhh.” Louisa sniffed the air, then immediately wished that she hadn’t, covering her nose against the pungent stench. And immediately wished that she’d read up on the more dangerous creatures some more. “Ugh, this isn’t any animal den that I’ve read about.”

“Um, guys?” said Zelda, and Louisa looked to see her friend’s terrified face turned up towards what her wand illuminated- standing above them was a rather angry-looking troll.

“Um. Well, shit,” said Izabella, cringing back against the wall farthest away from the troll and extinguishing her wand with a quiet ‘nox’.

“Do we run?” asked Zelda.

“I don’t know!” said Louisa in a harsh whisper. “I didn’t read up on trolls!”

“Well then, what’s the point of being a senior?” said Izabella. Louisa bristled, but the stomp of the troll’s foot and a heavy thud against the wall they’d entered through sent any anger to the back of her mind. Especially as small stones fell, covering the opening.

“Fuck,” said Jack. “Well, we’re dead.” Louisa whimpered.

“No we’re not, we’ve just gotta find another way out,” said Zelda. “Feel for any wind.”

“Unless it’s coming from the troll’s arse,” said Jack. “Then maybe avoid that, if you can still breathe.”

“Not helping, Jack,” said Izabella. She began feeling along the walls, hoping that she wouldn’t knock loose a spider or a centipede. Or one of the many other miscellaneous creatures that called caves home.

“Look, it’s a troll, it’s gotta leave somewhere,” said Louisa. “Maybe behind it?”

“Do you have a death wish?” asked Zelda with a laugh. “No, that won’t work. We have to-“ The troll roared, and all four of them screamed.

Outside the troll’s cave, on her way through the Forbidden Forest in search of centaurs, Ronja Stormhammer suddenly stopped at the sound of the shrieking voices.

“I recognise that voice,” said Ronja, somehow able to pick the voice of one girl by the scream alone. “That’s Louisa!” The tiny dappled grey pony she rode lifted its head, chewing on some of the forbidden grass. “Git, Nightwish, c’mon, we gotta save her!” Nightwish neighed lazily.

Inside the cave, the troll roared again and advanced a step, drawn on by the screaming and by the delicious scent of their fear. And then, just as suddenly, the troll stopped dead. A small shape darted out from behind it, raised a scrawny leg, and booted the troll fair in the shin. It toppled over backwards just as the girl cried “TIMBERRRR!”

The four friends stared at the scrawny girl, mouths agape.

“Did you kill it?” asked Izabella, wrinkling her nose up. “I can’t tell, it already smells bad enough.”

“Nah, I jus’ clocked it on the noggin,” said the girl.

“Ronja?” said Louisa, disbelieving but recognising that accent. Ronja nodded.

“Aye, das me,” said Ronja. “Ronja Stormhammer, loyal Griffindor, at yer service!” She snapped a salute, and Louisa grinned at her, laughing.

“Wow, what are the odds of you roaming the forest just when we needed you?” said Louisa.

“Nah, not odds, only fate,” said Ronja.

“Fate?” asked Louisa, frowning in confusion.

“Yup,” said Ronja. “I owe ya a life debt.”

“Why?” asked Louisa. She’d probably get wrinkles if she kept frowning like this.

“Ok, so, go back in time a wee bit, mebbe tree-ish years ago?” said Ronja. “Yer in class, potions t’be precise, and a scrawny lil firs-year’s jus about in tears ‘cause she forgot ‘er quill.”

“Oh!” said Louisa, eyes widening. “I remember now, that was you!”

“Yep, dat was me alright,” said Ronja, pointing to her chest with her thumb. “And from dat moment on, I said to meself ‘Ronja, yer in dat girl’s debt now. She needs sometin, anytin, you git it for ‘er, no matter the danger’. So I saved yer life. Yer welcome.”

“Well, thank you!” said Louisa, grinning as she stepped forward and hugged the scrawny little thing.

“’S’no problem,” said Ronja with a shrug. “Just think of me as yer bodyguard.”

“I can’t believe you took down a troll,” said Izabella, looking the girl up and down. “What are you?”

“A bloody good shot,” said Ronja. Louisa laughed, and stepped over to the narrow crevice to begin removing the pieces of stone that blocked it up.

“We could probably just go back out the bigger entrance now,” said Jack.

“I don’t want to risk that thing waking up as we step out over it,” said Louisa, gesturing to the downed troll.

“Hmm, I know me trolls, and dat one’s down fer da count,” said Ronja, leaning over the hulking mass on the ground. “’E’s not even blockin’ dat much o’ the tunnel.”

“Alright, but if he wakes up, I’m blaming you,” said Louisa, and held her wand out like a weapon as she carefully stepped around the unconscious troll, holding her breath so as not to breathe in too much of the stench.

Once outside, the four friends embraced while Ronja scolded her pony for eating leaves that would end up making him sick.

“And ‘oo’s gonna clean up the vomit, ‘ey?” said Ronja, pulling Nightwish’s head away from the leaves. “’Cause I can guarantee that the stable girl’s gonna make me do it, ya guts.” Nightwish snorted.

“Next time you go into a cave, use your nose, yeah?” said Jack, shakily giving Izabella a hug.

“Alright, I won’t ignore the stink next time,” said Izabella.

“I’m just grateful that nobody got hurt,” said Louisa, rubbing her arms as she trembled. “That was so close.”

“Well, at least Ronja was nearby to save us,” said Zelda, smiling at the other girl. “Thank you, Ronja.”

“No prob, bob,” said Ronja, saluting her. She mounted her pony. “Anyway, I’d best get this one home ‘fore he starts upchuckin’.”

“Good plan,” said Jack. “Remember to take some leaves so the healers know what he ate.”

“Oh, ta,” said Ronja, tearing some leaves off and stuffing them into the pocket of her robes.

The five of them slowly headed home, Ronja leading them on her pony and chattering on about weird and wonderful things she’d seen in the Forbidden Forest. Izabella listened intently, but the other three trembled at the sounds of the more terrifying things. Louisa only relaxed when she was once more out in the sunlight. It felt like a different world out here, with the forest at their backs. But Louisa knew that it definitely wouldn’t be the last time they visited. They had a class there tomorrow on magical creatures.


End file.
